massacres of the south-第64章

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expose　himself　by　running　counter　to　the　opinions　of　those　who　had
had　their　own　way　in　the　city　for　the　last　four　months。　　But　General
Lagarde　brushed　all　these　considerations　aside：　he　had　received　an
order　from　the　prince；　and　to　a　man　of　his　military　cast　of　mind　no
course　was　open　but　to　carry　that　order　out。

Nevertheless；　the　president　again　expressed　his　doubts　and　fears。

〃I　will　answer　with　my　head；〃　said　the　general；　〃that　nothing
happens。〃　　Still　the　president　counselled　prudence；　asking　that　only
one　place　of　worship　at　first　be　opened；　and　to　this　the　general　gave
his　consent。

This　continued　resistance　to　the　re…establishment　of　public　worship
on　the　part　of　those　who　most　eagerly　desired　it　enabled　the　general
at　last　to　realise　the　extent　of　the　danger　which　would　be　incurred
by　the　carrying　out　of　this　measure；　and　he　at　once　took　all　possible
precautions。　　Under　the　pretext　that　he　was　going　to…have　a　general
review；　he　brought　the　entire　civil　and　military　forces　of　Nimes
under　his　authority；　determined；　if　necessary；　to　use　the　one　to
suppress　the　other。　　As　early　as　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　a　guard
of　gens　d'armes　was　stationed　at　the　doors　of　the　meeting…house；
while　other　members　of　the　same　force　took　up　their　positions　in　the
adjacent　streets。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Consistory　had　decided　that
the　doors　were　to　be　opened　an　hour　sooner　than　usual；　that　the　bells
were　not　to　be　rung；　and　that　the　organ　should　be　silent。

These　precautions　had　both　a　good　and　a　bad　side。　　The　gens　d'armes
at　the　door　of　the　meetinghouse　gave　if　not　a　promise　of　security　at
least　a　promise　of　support；　but　they　showed　to　the　citizens　of　the
other　party　what　was　about　to　be　done；　so　before　nine　o'clock　groups
of　Catholics　began　to　form；　and　as　it　happened　to　be　Sunday　the
inhabitants　of　the　neighbouring　villages　arriving　constantly　by　twos
and　threes　soon　united　these　groups　into　a　little　army。　　Thus　the
streets　leading　to　the　church　being　thronged；　the　Protestants　who
pushed　their　way　through　were　greeted　with　insulting　remarks；　and
even　the　president　of　the　Consistory；　whose　white；　hair　and　dignified
expression　had　no　effect　upon　the　mob；　heard　the　people　round　him
saying；　〃These　brigands　of　Protestants　are　going　again　to　their
temple；　but　we　shall　soon　give　them　enough　of　it。〃

The　anger　of　the　populace　soon　grows　hot；　between　the　first　bubble
and　the　boiling…point　the　interval　is　short。　　Threats　spoken　in　a　low
voice　were　soon　succeeded　by　noisy　objurgations。　　Women；　children；
and　men　brake　out　into　yells；　〃Down　with　the　broilers！〃　（for　this　was
one　of　the　names　by　which　the　Protestants　were　designated）。　　〃Down
with　the　broilers！　　We　do　not　want　to　see　them　using　our　churches：
let　them　give　us　back　our　churches；　let　them　give　us　back　our
churches；　and　go　to　the　desert。　　Out　with　them！　　Out　with　them！　To
the　desert！　　To　the　desert！〃

As　the　crowd　did　not　go　beyond　words；　however　insulting；　and　as　the
Protestants　were　long　inured　to　much　worse　things；　they　plodded　along
to　their　meeting…house；　humble　and　silent；　and　went　in；　undeterred　by
the　displeasure　they　aroused；　whereupon　the　service　commenced。

But　some　Catholics　went　in　with　them；　and　soon　the　same　shouts　which
had　been　heard　without　were　heard　also　within。　　The　general；　however；
was　on　the　alert；　and　as　soon　as　the　shouts　arose　inside　the　gens
d'armes　entered　the　church　and　arrested　those　who　had　caused　the
disturbance。　　The　crowds　tried　to　rescue　them　on　their　way　to　prison；
but　the　general　appeared　at　the　head　of　imposing　forces；　at　the　sight
of　which　they　desisted。　　An　apparent　cam　succeeded　the　tumult；　and
the　public　worship　went　on　without　further　interruption。

The　general；　misled　by　appearances；　went　off　himself　to　attend　a
military　mass；　and　at　eleven　o'clock　returned　to　his　quarters　for
lunch。　　His　absence　was　immediately　perceived　and　taken　advantage　of。
In　the：　twinkling　of　an　eye；　the　crowds；　which　had　dispersed；
gathered　together　in　even　greater　numbers　and　the　Protestants；　seeing
themselves　once　more　in　danger；　shut　the　doors　from　within；　while　the
gens　d'armes　guarded　them　without。　　The　populace　pressed　so　closely
round　the　gens　d'armes；　and　assumed　such　a　threatening　attitude；　that
fearing　he　and　his　men　would　not　be　able　to　hold　their　own　in　such　a
throng；　the　captain　ordered　M。　Delbose；　one　of　his　officers；　to　ride
off　and　warn　the　general。　　He　forced　his　way　through　the　crowd　with
great　trouble；　and　went　off　at　a　gallop。　　On　seeing　this；　the　people
felt　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost；　they　knew　of　what　kind　the　general
was；　and　that　he　would　be　on　the　spot　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　A
large　crowd　is　invincible　through　its　numbers；　it　has　only　to　press
forward；　and　everything　gives　way；　men；　wood；　iron。　　At　this　moment
the　crowd；　swayed　by　a　common　impulse；　swept　forward；　the　gens
d'armes　and　their　horses　were　crushed　against　the　wall；　doors　gave
way；　and　instantly　with　a　tremendous　roar　a　living　wave　flooded　the
church。　　Cries　of　terror　and　frightful　imprecations　were　heard　on　all
sides；　everyone　made　a　weapon　of　whatever　came　to　hand；　chairs　and
benches　were　hurled　about；　the　disorder　was　at　its　height；　it　seemed
as　if　the　days　of　the　Michelade　and　the　Bagarre　were　about　to　return；
when　suddenly　the　news　of　a　terrible　event　was　spread　abroad；　and
assailants　and　assailed　paused　in　horror。　　General　Lagarde　had　just
been　assassinated。

As　the　crowd　had　foreseen；　no　sooner　did　the　messenger　deliver　his
message　than　the　general　sprang　on　his　horse；　and；　being　too　brave；
or　perhaps　too　scornful；　to　fear　such　foes；　he　waited　for　no　escort；
but；　accompanied　by　two　or　three　officers；　set　off　at　full　gallop
towards　the　scene　of　the　tumult。　　He　had　passed　through　the　narrow
streets　which　led　to　the　meeting…house　by　pushing　the　crowd　aside
with　his　horse's　chest；　when；　just　as　he　got　out　into　the　open
square；　a　young　man　named　Boisson；　a　sergeant　in　the　Nimes　National
Guard；　came　up　and　seemed　to　wish　to　speak　to　him。　　The　general
seeing　a　man　in　uniform；　bent　down　without　a　thought　of　danger　to
listen　to　what　he　had　to　say；　whereupon　Boisson　drew　a　pistol　out　and
fired　at　him。　　The　ball　broke　the　collar…bone　and　lodged　in　the　neck
behind　the　carotid　artery；　and　the　general　fell　from　his　horse。

The　news　of　this　crime　had　a　strange　and　unexpected　effect；　however
excited　and　frenzied　the　crowd　was；　it　instantly　realised　the
consequences　of　this　act。　　It　was　no　longer　like　the　murder　of
Marshal　Brune　at　Avignon　or　General　Ramel　at　Toulouse；　an　act　of
vengeance　on　a　favourite　of　Napoleon；　but　open　and　armed　rebellion
against　the　king。　　It　was　not　a　simple　murder；　it　was　high　treason。

A　feeling　of　the　utmost　terror　spread　through　the　town；　only　a　few
fanatics　went　on　howling　in　the　church；　which　the　Protestants；
fearing　still　greater　disasters；　had　by　this　time　resolved　to
abandon。　　The　first　to　come　out　was　President　Olivier　Desmonts；
accompanied　by　M。　Vallongues；　who　had　only　just　arrived　in　the　city；
but　who　had　immediately　hurried　to　the　spot　at　the　call　of　duty。

M。　Juillerat；　his　two　children　in　his　arms；　walked　behind　them；
followed　by　all　the　other　worshippers。　　At　first　the　crowd；
threatening　and　ireful；　hooted　and　threw　stones　at　them；　but　at　the
voice　of　the　mayor　and　the　dignified　aspect　of　the　president　they
allowed　them　to　pass。　　During　this　strange　retreat　over　eighty
Protestants　were　wounded；　but　not　fatally；　except　a　young　girl　called
Jeannette　Cornilliere；　who　had　been　so　beaten　and　ill…used　that　she
died　of　her　injuries　a　few　days　later。

In　spite　of　the　momentary　slackening　of　energy　which　followed　the
assassination　of　General　Lagarde；　the　Catholics　did　not　remain　long
in　a　state　of　total　inaction。　　During　the　rest　of　the　day　the　excited
populace　seemed　as　if　shaken　by　an　earthquake。　　About　six　o'clock　in
the　evening；　some　of　the　most　desperate　characters　in　the　town
possessed　themselves　of　a　hatchet；　and；　taking　their　way　to　the
Protestant　church；　smashed　the　doors；　tore　the　pastors'　gowns；　rifled
the　poor…box；　and　pulled　the　books　to　pieces。　　A　detachment　of　troops
arrived　just　in　time　to　prevent　their　sett